The AAU Englewood Chill Blast Pickleball Tournament made history this weekend as the first-ever pickleball event hosted for AAU members. (<>

20Jun2015

RECAP: 18U Championship

18u Open

The 18u division display’s the country’s best volleyball talent and is sure to never disappoint year after year.

This year was nothing different.

18u Open championship morning began with one of the biggest rivalries in all of club volleyball- Mizuno Sports Performance versus Asics Munciana Samurai. These two clubs have faced each other in either the semifinals or finals the past five years at the AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships, four of the five being in the championship match. This year, they found themselves squaring off in the semifinals.

Mizuno Sports Performance came into the semis as the two-time 18u Open National Champions, looking to secure an unprecedented third consecutive title; Samurai were looking for revenge, having dropped the last two meetings against them. In normal rivalry fashion the match was pushed to a third set, which ultimately saw Sports Performance take it 15-11 and secure a sixth consecutive 18u Open final appearance.

Sports Performance opened up with a 6-0 run before a miss return put Minnesota on the board. Later, Minnesota countered with a 5-0 run to pull within one (13-12) and eventually take their first lead at 18-17, but a late 3-0 run by Sports Performance would secure a 25-20 first set victory and put them one set closer to another national title.

Sports Performance carried that momentum into the second set, appearing too much to handle with their overall attack, including Illinois Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year Molly Haggerty on the outside and Rachel Fara in the middle. Sports Performance would go on to take it in straight sets (25-20, 25-16) to clinch their third consecutive AAU 18u Open National Championship title.

Later in the day, Sports Performance faced off against China Shandong, the International Division champions, for the 2015 World Championship title. China got off to an early 2-0 start and would never look back, cruising to a 25-17, 25-20 victory. Execution was the name of the game and China executed their game plan efficiently, creating a wall at the net that could not be penetrated and exploiting holes within the Sports Performance lineup to lay down timely kills. Service errors hurt Sports Performance early on, but China’s precision and technical ability could not be matched.

18u Premier

The talent continued to amaze on the 18u Premier championship court.

Sports Performance entered the championship match as the reigning 18u Premier champs after defeating Premier Onitsuka in three sets. They looked to defend their title as they took the court versus River City.

Unlike last year’s three-set nailbiter, Mizuno Sports Performance defeated River City in straight sets (25-19, 25-27) to take home their second consecutive 18u Premier National Championship title.

The AAU Englewood Chill Blast Pickleball Tournament made history this weekend as the first-ever pickleball event hosted for AAU members. (What the heck is pickleball?!) More than 180 athletes from 11 states and Canada – ranging from age 19 to 75 – competed on Florida’s west coast as part of the Florida Pickleball League.

Are you in the market for a one-piece or two-piece bat for your upcoming AAU season? Would you rather have an end-loaded or balanced weight distribution? Composite or alloy barrel? That can be a lot to take in. Thankfully, though, our friends at Eastbay are here to help with the best BBCOR baseball bats of 2018.

Once every two years, the greatest athletes from around the world represent their countries with pride and compete to etch their names in the history books. This massive event is truly a spectacle, and there may be no one better equipped to break down what it takes and what the stage feels like more than AAU alum Lauryn Williams.

Back in 2010, before Wade and his buddy LeBron James joined forces in South Beach for the Heat, Wade joined Mickey Mouse and played a special 3-on-3 basketball game with athletes in town for the 16U AAU Girls Basketball National Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

Summertime is right around the corner and, with that, comes the bulk of AAU national championship season. The AAU is constantly adding new events and new competition opportunities for youth athletes and, in recent years, a larger focus has been placed on developing the whole event – not just organizing a tournament. Complete with social responsibility initiatives and unique family vacation opportunities, take a look at the 18 AAU events you are not going to want to miss in 2018.

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The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years, the AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the U.S. in the international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic games. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level. The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by approx. 700,000 participants and over 150,000 volunteers. Mission Statement